Lawmakers mull 5-year trial run on private school vouchers

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers have introduced governor-backed legislation in the Senate that would fund a pilot private school voucher program for low-income students in the state's largest county.

The measure filed Wednesday would launch a five-year program in Pulaski County that uses $3.5 million annually in public funds to send around 500 students who qualify for federal lunch-buying assistance to private schools.

If approved, the "Capital Promise Scholarship" would be state's largest school-choice program. The scholarships would be available to Pulaski County students en...